This inventiion relates to an improved process for producing tetrahydrofuran by the dehydrocyclization of 1,4-butanediol in the presence of an acid catalyst. Tetrahydrofuran is a very useful substance as a solvent for high molecular substances, in particular, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride and it is produced by various processes.
It is known to produce tetrahydrofuran by the dehydrocyclization of 1,4-butanediol in the presence of an acid catalyst as described in British Pat. No. 1,170,222. However such a known process has not achieved sufficient conversion rate and has not been satisfactory from an industrial point of view. Further, since water and tetrahydrofuran, the reaction products, form an azeotropic mixture, it is difficult to recover highly pure tetrahydrofuran in a high yield by conventional distillation.